I will say that you might be ok with Hound if you're just going to put him on the shelf... MAYBE. The cracks on mine developed a good week after posing. I haven't touched him since and he hasn't developed any more cracks either.

 

My Amazon Japan replacement is much better than the original. I didnt see any cracks nor did anything brake during transformation. I did however transform him super slow and WD40'd him from head to toe. Took me 2 hours from jeep to bot. Everything is silky smooth.

Not saying there aren't cracks that could arise in the future, but for now hes posed in the case.

Now for Smokescreen +!

 

Still nothing new to report. Perhaps the shock oil lube job did do the trick and loosen him up on those pinned hinges.

I'll find some time in the next few days to transform back and forth a few times and report back. If it doesn't shatter from that, I'll pose and leave for a few more days and recheck. Wish me luck!

 

Yea for the price we pay, these shouldn't be breaking out of the box but Takara isn't alone in doing this. Bandai and other Japanese companies have done the same but they're usually given a pass(Bandai for brand loyalty and having photogenic toys + license squatting AKA nowhere else to go, smaller companies because they're smaller). So I made the decision last year that I wasn't going to buy anything unless I knew how to fix it and felt confident in doing so. I guess for the past 10 years I was getting used to this with smaller companies, never thinking the likes of Takara would fall to this.

Plus returns are a hassle.

I almost preordered Hound a couple of times, even up until a week before release. However I'd rather wait for the inevitable rerelease at this point.

If any of you do get the Hasbro-imported version, it'd be interesting to see what customer service says in response to breakages. I doubt a stronger batch of plastic was used in time. Benefit of brand unification is that for items Hasbro imports over, we have a say when shit goes wrong.

Takara has some brilliant engineering but weak material choices are sinking whatever advances they're bringing to the table. I'd like to think soft ratchets and weak plastic were left in the Cyberverse line, not the freaking MP line!

 

I reseive my hound today from tfs-express uk. I open the box and..... just fell off a part from the side door. I dont even touch it.... I am very upset right now and i swear to myself not to preorder again from Takara.
What can i do now. Never happen to me again.

 

drill in , use brass pin , super glue , transform
   

 

Immediately contact TFS-express uk for Returns/Refund or Replacement.

 

I chalked it up to bad plastic, especially in comparison to the roof attachment which is a pretty solid piece of"clear" plastic. Hopefully they can find some solutions to their problems. I wonder if any of the other Takara products manufactured at these factories have the same issues or is this just something targeted at the "Transformers" lines they make.

 

Yes i already send an email but not answer yet.
And NO i dont want to fix it because i dont break it. This is a Takara problem not mine, nether tfs-express

 

I would also recommend sending this one back. Since the breakage does not appear to be caused by a tightly pinned joint, it may be indicative of brittle plastic...which can't be fixed reliably with any amount of glue (it may just break again in another spot nearby...or anywhere else on the figure, for that matter). Hopefully tfs-express will refund you!

 

Seeing how Hound is broken, I'm going to miss Spike more. He's a pleasant surprise.

 

the break as its seen at the pictures its very smooth and not from preasure

 

Mine broke in exactly the same place

 

I've had mine for two weeks, and took him out of the box, but never transformed him. I'm afraid that something will snap, crackle or pop. I've done more posing with Spike than Hound.

 

Well I'm late to the party... got Hound last week and finally after much trepidation and fear... opened him today. And thankfully, I received a flawless copy. No cracks, no breaks, no paint issues. I like him.











With FT Willis... I'm liking MP-47 more, side-to-side:





And with his Bro-minster:





I followed Emgo's YT video and it went smoothly. Very pleased. The right front jeep bumper that forms the shoulder on the front does not attach as closely and securely as the left in bot mode. And I wish the hologram gun and shoulder rocket were bigger (ala Willis)... but this guy nails the toon G1 Hound. Like he jumped off the screen to life.

 

My replacement is still flawless. No issues.

I love him!

 

And your first one broke almost immediately right? Good sign if the new one's still going strong!

 

He’s actually still in one piece, though had 3 cracks out of the box and has subsequently developed 2 or 3 more. I have high hopes for the new one!